- The second Gladiator 2 trailer has revealed the long-rumoured truth about Lucius Verus’ parentage — and it involves Russell Crowe’s Maximus Decimus Meridius.
- Reading between the lines, one could argue this had always been the endgame for Ridley Scott’s cinematic mythology.
- Gladiator 2Â release date: November 22nd, 2024 (US) & November 15th, 2024 (Australia/International)
An old theory regarding the original Gladiator (2000) is officially canon.
As you’ll see in the latest trailer, the underlying implication surrounding Russell Crowe’s Maximus and Connie Nielsen’s Lucilla has now been cemented with the confirmed “product” of their love affair: Lucius Verus — originally portrayed by Spencer Treat Clark, currently portrayed by Paul Mescal.
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And it was a detail that even surprised the Gladiator 2 leading man himself.
“He mentioned it in the talk, but then it’s an affronting thing to see it written on the page, and [to have] that responsibility fall on your shoulders is interesting… I was like, ‘Holy s**t,'” Mescal told Entertainment Weekly.
The Aftersun and Normal People thespian added: “The screenplay does a lot of that work for you in terms of the rubbing the dirt between the hands, the kind of DNA, and the genetics that Lucius inherits. So I kind of tried to park that to one side because ultimately, where Lucius is coming from at the start of the film, he has a very different journey than Maximus does.”
“And I was hoping that whatever DNA and even just the physical gestures was going to be one part of, and a kind of small part of, the performance. But then what I tried to do is figure out exactly who Lucius was and where those differences lay between Lucius and Maximus.”
Between the affection that Richard Harris’ Marcus Aurelius showed Maximus and the inexplicable connection Spencer Treat Clark’s young Lucius held with the Roman general turned slave warrior… one could argue this was always the plan for Ridley Scott.
It may also explain why Lucilla has decided to send Lucius away to Northern Africa for his safety, given his real father killed Emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) in the climax of the first film, and probably made some powerful enemies in doing so.
As Scott himself previously explained, Mescal’s Lucius was sent to Numidia for his protection, just outside the Roman Empire’s grasp. But when General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) invades, forcing him into slavery, the grandson of Rome’s former emperor ironically resolves to fight as a gladiator.
Drawing inspiration from the story of his childhood hero/papa Maximus, with the help of the aggrieved power broker Macrinus (Denzel Washington), Lucius makes his stand against young emperors Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) and Geta (Joseph Quinn;Â replacing Barry Keoghan) in the Colosseum.
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This star-studded cast also features May Calamawy, Lior Raz, Peter Mensah, Matt Lucas, Tim McInnerny, and Alexander Karim, with Derek Jacobi reprising his role as Senator Gracchus.
In addition to directing, Ridley Scott has served as a key co-producer to Gladiator II; working alongside his usual collaborators — screenwriter David Scarpa (All The Money In The World, Napoleon), legendary cinematographer John Mathieson (Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven, Logan), as well as costume designer Janty Yates and production designer Arthur Max.
Gladiator 2 is scheduled to premiere on November 22nd, 2024 (US) and November 15th, 2024 (Australia/International) — check out the new trailer above.
